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Showbiz Reporter
MOST musicians have learnt that depending on physical live shows as their main source of revenue is not sustainable during this Covid-19-induced lockdown.

The lockdown has forced most businesses to operate online and artistes in Zimbabwe have been urged to also adapt to the “new normal”.

The arts industry is arguably the most affected by the Covid-19 restrictions.

Due to this, it has become crucial for artistes to occupy the digital space in order for them to remain relevant.

Nightclubs have remained closed and live performances banned hence many artistes that used to depend on performing in nightclubs or staging live shows no longer have a source of income.

Digital marketer, Kudzai Mukuku, who is the founder of Media Gurus, said all hope is not lost for musicians if they occupy and monetise the digital space.

Mukuku is part of the first group of Zimbabweans to be involved in digital marketing of music after he together with two of his colleagues, launched Zimbabwe Kosha Management, a subsidiary of Jungle Entertainment headquartered in Nigeria, to market music online in 2017.

Through Zimbabwe Kosha Management, they emulated how Nigerians were occupying the digital space to promote Afro-beats on the global stage through digital marketing.

Mukuku said since the formation of the company, he has assisted several Zimdancehall artistes including Killer T, Stunner, Seh Calaz and Chillspot to market their music online.

He said the Covid-19 pandemic has served as a wake-up call for artistes to embrace digital marketing of their work.

“The problem we have in Zimbabwe is that most artistes who earned their living through shows didn’t care about digital marketing and distribution. These artistes are learning the hard way following the lockdown restrictions which banned live shows,” said Mukuku.

He said he was now engaging many of the musicians so that they have an appreciation of opportunities that exist online.

“I’m working closely with artistes to set up online accounts which we strategically position for revenue inflows. Online presence for artistes is no longer just about having a YouTube channel or a Facebook page as there’s a need for them to know how to monetise the online platforms.

“I’m glad that artistes are slowly appreciating the need to market their music online. However, they still lack proper knowledge on how to make money through online platforms,” Mukuku said.

He said having platforms like Spotify, an online music library, opening up its markets to Zimbabwe, shows that the country has the potential to grow its music through virtual platforms.